Cistern, tank, or reservoir cleaner.



No. 755,408. Paten T. s. MURRAY & E. E. JACKSON? CISTERN, TANK, 0R RESERVOiR. CLEANER.

I (Application filed July 19, 1902.) (No Model.)

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ted Dec. 9, I902.

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G Jae/5602 Patented Dec. 9, i902. T. S. MURRAY &; E. E. JACKSON. CISTERN, TANK, 0B RESERVOIR CLEANER.

'{Afiplication filed July 19, 1902.

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UNITED STATES THOMAS S. MURRAY AND EDWIN E. JACKSON, OF ARKANSAS CITY, KANSAS.

CISTERN, TANK, OR RESERVOlR CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,408, dated December 9, 1902. Application filed July 19, 1902. S eria1No.116 2O1. (No model.)

To col-Z whom, it may concern;

Be it known that we, THOMAS S. MURRAY and EDWIN E. J AGKSON,citizens of the United States,residing at Arkansas Oity,in the county of Cowley and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Cistern, Tank, or Reservoir Cleaner, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved device for cleaning cisterns, tanks, and reservoirs, the object being to provide a simple appliance which can be easily manipulated for the purpose of removing all sediments from the bottom of a cistern, tank, or reservoir without removing any considerable quantity of water therefrom and also without agitating the water to a considerable extent.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which can be quickly and easily rolled or moved upon the bottom of the cistern or tank, so that the entire bottom surface of the cistern or tank can be cleaned.

Another object of.the invention is to provide a pump mechanism in connection with the cleaning mechanism, whereby the sedi ment can be pumped up from the cistern and discharged at any point.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement, all of which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in theclaims'.

In the drawings forming a part of this speoification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sediment-cleaner constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section, partly in elevation. Fig. 3 is a 1ongitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2..

Fig. t is a side elevation. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view illustrating the gearing device for operating the brushes and propelling mechanism. Fig. '7 is a detail view illustrating the driving mechanism. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view showing the manner of connecting the sections of an extension-handle, and Fig. 9 is a section onthe line 9 9 of Fig. 8.

In carrying out our invention we employ a box A, having rubber strips A at the lower edges, said rubber strips permitting the box to be moved over the bottom of the cistern or tank without seriously disturbing the sedibox and adjacent thereto.

ment collected thereon, and these rubber strips also permit the cleaning operations to be carried on within the box without materially disturbing the water surrounding the This box has two cleaning-brushes B journaled therein, the shafts B of said brushes projecting through one end of the box and are provided with sprocket-wheels B A casting: plate G is fastened to the top of the box, said castingplatehaving the journaled brackets O, to which is pivoted a yoke D, said yoke having a handle or staff E rigidly connected thereto.

In case the cistern or tank is very deep and it is necessary to employ two sections of handle or staif E we connect them by means of a coupling E, consisting of a sleeve E into which the ends of the sections of the handle or staff are inserted and secured by means of set-screws bearing upon the binding-plates arranged within the sleeve E A yoke F is secured to the handle or staif E adjacent to the upper end thereof, and a shaft G is journaled in said yoke, having a crank-handle G connected to one end and the beveled gear G2 connected to the opposite end, said beveled gear meshing with the beveled gear G carried upon the upper end of the shaft H, the lower end of said shaft being journaled in the yoke D and carrying a beveled gear I, which in. turn meshes with the beveled gears K and L. The beveled gear K is mounted upon a shaft M, and the beveled gear L is journaled in one of the journaled bracket-s G and has a tubular hub L, through which the shaft M passes.

A sprocket N is mounted upon the end of the shaft M, and a sprocket N is mounted upon the tubular hub L. Thus it will be seen that as the shaft H is rotated it imparts motion to the gears K and L, and said gears in turn impart motion in opposite directions to the sprockets N and N. Passing over these sprockets are the ohainsO and 0, respectively, said chains also passing around the sprockets B thus rotating the brushes in opposite directions and toward each other, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Whenever a sectional handle is employed, a sectional shaft H is employed, and the joint H is usually made adj aoent to the jointin the handle. Suitable guides 11 are usually con nected to the handle or staif for the purpose of steadying the rotary shaft H,the said shaft turning freely within the said guides. Thus it will be seen that after the box is lowered into the cistern, tank, or reservoir and permitted to rest upon the bottom the sediment can be cleaned by rotating the crank-handle, which in turn operates the brushes and cleans the bottom of the cistern, tank, or reservoir, and in order to carry off the sediment so brushed up we arrange a tube P between the brushes, said tube communicating with an opening P, produced in the top of the box and over which is arranged a pump-cylinder P having a valve P at the lower end, and a lateral discharge-pipe P, having a checkvalve P arranged therein. Piston P has a rod P connected thereto, said rod having a slotted head P in which works the crankpin P carried by the disk P ,which is mounted upon the end of a shaft journaled in an upright Q, having a sprocket Q upon the opposite end of the shaft, said sprocket being driven by a chain Q which receives its motion from a sprocket Q mounted upon the end of the shaft M, so that simultaneously with the brushing operation the pumping operation is carried on, and the sediment is discharged through the hose R, connected to the lateral branch of the pump.

Two wheels S are arranged upon one side of the box, and upon which the box is caused to roll. Upon the'opposite side of the box is mounted a wheel T, having a toothed periphery T, which is adapted to engage the bottom surface of the tank and serve as a traction or propelling wheel for moving the box back and forth upon the bottom of the cistern or tank, and in order to operate the wheel T we employ a pin-gear U, mounted upon the ends of a shaft U, and sliding upon said shaft and movable therewith is a sleeve V, carrying the gears V and V A spring V surrounds the shaft U and bears against the sleeve V, so that the gear V is normally held in engagement with the beveled gear L. A shifting arm WV, sliding upon the rod W and operated by a cord W shifts the sleeve V upon the shaft U, so as to bring the gear V in to engagement with the beveled gear K, and

. thus reverse the motion of the cleaner, it being understood that when the gear V or V is in engagement with either the beveled gear K or L the machine is being moved in one direction or the other through the medium of the shaft U and pin-gear U, which meshes with the toothed periphery F of the traction-wheel T, and moves the box along the bottom surface of the cistern, tank, or reservoir. Thus it will be seen that by a continuous motion of the crank-shaft G we are enabled to brush the sediments from the bottom of the cistern, tank, or reservoir, pump up and discharge the 1 sediment so brushed up, and can also move the cleaner back and forth upon the bottom of the cistern or tank without changing the motion of the operating-crank G Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination with a box, of brushes arranged therein, a tube arranged within the box and between the brushes, a pump in communication with the said tube, a discharge pipe or hose connected with the pump, and means arranged upon the box for rotating the brushes, and operating the pump, as specified.

2. The combination with a box having rubber strips around its lower edges, of brushes journaled within the box, a funnel-shaped tube arranged between the brushes, the pump arranged upon the box and in communication, with the tube, the supporting-wheels arranged at one side of the box, the supporting and traction wheel arranged at the opposite side of the box, a handle or shaft pivotally connected with the top of the box, and means arranged upon the handle or shaft, and upon the box, for the purpose of rotating the brushes operating the pump and propelling the traction-wheel, as specified.

3. The combination with a box having the rubber strips at its lower edges, of the brushes journaled therein, a casting-plate arranged upon the top of the box and having journaled brackets and an upright integral therewith, shafts journaled in the brackets and upright, a yoke pivotally connected to one shaft, a handle rigidly connected to the yoke, a shaft journaled in the yoke, the yoke carried by the handle, gearing devices arranged in the yoke carried by the handle for the purpose of operating the shaft, gearing devices operatively connected with the lower end of the shaft, a pump arranged upon the top of the box, a tube arranged within the box and communicating with the pump, a tractionwheel arranged at one side of the box, agearing device operatively connected with the lower end of the rotary shaft whereby the brushes are revolved and the pump operated and the traction-wheel propelled, as specified.

4. The combination with the box having the rotary brushes,tube and pump, of the castingplate having journaled brackets, the shafts M and U journaled therein, the yoke pivotally connected with the top of the box and carrying a shaft H, the beveled gear I, and the beveled gears K and L operating the sprockets N and N, the traction-wheel, the gear meshing therewith, the spring-actuated sliding sleeve having beveled gears connected therewith, means for operating the said sliding sleeve, together with the operative connections between the brushes and sprocketwheels and also between the shaft N, and the pump, as and for the purpose specified.

TI-IOS. S. MURRAY. EDWIN E. JACKSON.

Witnesses:

WM. BLAKE, EDWIN J. FLEMING. 

